[1] Free Radio launched on Monday 26 March 2012 as a result of the rebranding of four FM stations – BRMB, Beacon, Mercia and Wyvern.

The four FM stations are now subsumed into the Hits Radio network whilst the AM transmitters, which latterly carried Absolute Classic Rock, ceased broadcasting in April and June 2020.

The stations were bought in May 2009 by a consortium led by former Chrysalis Radio chief executive Phil Riley, trading as Orion Media.

Heart East Midlands continued to operate under a franchise agreement with Global until January 2011, when the station was rebranded as Gem 106 and replaced most networked output with local programming from Nottingham.

As of 8 July 2019, Free Radio carries two separate breakfast shows - one for the Birmingham, Black Country and Shropshire areas and a second for Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Bauer also announced it would move Free Radio from its Brindleyplace studios to a smaller facility at 54 Hagley Road in Edgbaston at the end of 2021.

On 7 January 2019, Free Radio 80s ceased broadcasting and replaced by Absolute Classic Rock on AM and DAB in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Shropshire.

Regional programming, under the Hits at Breakfast banner, was produced and broadcast from Bauer's Birmingham studios weekdays from 6-10am, presented by John Dalziel and Roisin McCourt.